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Applications for the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program are due on Friday, March 23rd! Through the Summer Corps program you can earn a $1,175 education award voucher for spending your summer working on a legal project at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization or public defender office of your choosing.

The Boston bar Association Task Force on the Civil Right to Counsel recently released a report analyzing the Importance of Representation in Eviction Cases and Homelessness Prevention. (Click here for the full report.) The Executive Summary states:

The findings of both pilot studies confirm that extensive assistance from lawyers is essential to helping tenants preserve their housing and avoid the potential for homelessness, including all of the far-reaching tangible and intangible costs to tenants and society generally that are associated with homelessness. . . . Previous studies, both nationally and in Massachusetts, similarly showed that tenants represented by lawyers obtain significantly better outcomes in court than those who represent themselves because, without counsel, they are unable to present their valid defenses. In interviews and surveys conducted by the Task Force prior to the pilot studies, judges and experienced practitioners expressed the same view of the beneficial impact of counsel and the need for more representation in eviction cases.Although civil legal aid reaches some indigent clients in eviction cases, the shortage of available counsel for the poor, and the dramatic extent of unmet legal needs, have been widely documented. Massachusetts studies show that landlords are represented by lawyers in more than two-thirds of summary process eviction cases, but only 6 to 10% of tenants are represented. The intervening recession has made the problem worse, increasing the number of potential clients eligible for legal services, at the same time it has led to dramatic budget cuts for legal services programs, ultimately causing a sharp reduction in the programs’ capacity to help at a time of urgent need.Based on all of the available data, the Task Force concludes that expanding the right to counsel, including full representation as of right, makes an enormous difference in the types of eviction cases identified by the targeted representation model in both the District Courts and the Housing Courts.

Do you have an interest in affordable housing issues and community development law? If so, plan to attend the ABA’s 2012 Forum on Affordable Housing, May 23 – 25 in Washington, D.C. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Students can register for the conference for $75. This is a great opportunity to learn more about this practice area and to network – there will even be a First Timers and Young Lawyers Reception on Wednesday evening. Workshops will cover topics such as

Fair Housing Testing Programs

Supportive Housing using Tax Credits and other resources;

New Developments in HUD Multifamily Housing

Ethics in Affordable Housing Developments;

Cross-Cutting Requirements of HUD Programs; and

A series of introductory and refresher 101 panels.

Go to the American Bar Association’s website (click here) to register.

A city law department has an opening for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Labor Division to represent the City in employment cases filed at local, state and federal agencies; in disciplinary proceedings before the City Police and Human Resources Boards; and/or in labor arbitrations and Labor Relations Board matters. The Assistant Corporation Counsel will be given significant responsibility for: handling Police Board and Human Resources Board cases and/or Labor Board matters and arbitrations; defending discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims; and, assisting in client counseling and/or other labor and employment related matters.

Qualifications: 0 to 6 years as a licensed, practicing attorney. Superior writing, research and editing skills; exceptional client counseling and organizational skills; the ability to work well with others; the ability to exhibit leadership and initiative on assigned tasks; and the ability to organize, prioritize, monitor and control workflow deadlines. Experience handling discipline cases, labor arbitrations, Labor Board cases and/or employment discrimination cases (e.g., Title VII, ADA, ADEA, or FMLA) preferred, but not required.

Log on to Symplicity to find out what city law department is hiring and how to apply!

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps is now accepting application for the 2012 program! Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2012 will provide 711 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,175 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization or public defender office.

Summer Corps members:

Earn $1,175 to pay for school expenses or loans;

Serve a minimum of 300 hours;

Gain hands-on legal experience;

Become part of a large national service community; and

Get the inside scoop on applying for Equal Justice Works postgraduate fellowships!

The Southern Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild will be on campus at noon today in Room 465 at 12 noon. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) was founded in 1937 as an association of progressive lawyers and jurists who believed that they had a major role to play in the reconstruction of legal values to emphasize human rights over property rights. The Guild is an extensive network of public interest and human rights activists working within the legal system.

If you think you want to be a nonprofit attorney or work for the PD, this is an excellent organization to be involved with as a law student.

The Partnership for Public Service is seeking current students or recent graduates to join their team this summer as Public Service Fellows.

• Are you a current student or recent graduate of an undergraduate or graduate program?
• Are you passionate about public service?
• Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your skills and gain valuable experience?
• Are you looking for a paid internship in the heart of Washington, D.C.?